Travel photo: Monkey Temple, Kathmandu Valley

This week’s #FriFotos theme* is holy places. My choice of holy place today is Swayambhunath stupa, Kathmandu. Along with six other groups of monuments in the Kathmandu Valley, the temple was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1979. It is first and foremost a Buddhist shrine, but also important in Hinduism.

Monkey Temple

Since holy monkeys live here, it’s also known as the Monkey Temple. And what makes these monkeys holy? I’m glad you asked. This gives me an opportunity to point out yet another similarity between Nepal and Norway. Not only do both begin with N, not only are they both very mountainous countries. But they’ve also both had rulers slightly obsessed with their hair!

In Norway, 9th century Viking king Harald Fairhair refused to cut his hair until all of Norway was joined together in one kingdom. And in Nepal, Manjushree, the bodhisattva of wisdom, didn’t cut his hair until he had finished building the Swayambhunath temple hill.

Hygienic conditions couldn’t have been the best, because he got head lice. But here comes the interesting part: Manjushree’s lice, you see, they magically transformed into monkeys.

The monkeys are still here. In droves. And some quite aggressive. Although one of the young ones was a sweet little thing: hopping about on the railings, he (or she) followed me all the way up the stairs and insisted on grabbing my hand over and over. Adorable at first, annoying after a while…

28 Responses to “Travel photo: Monkey Temple, Kathmandu Valley”

I find both N stories nutty and nice, though I fail to see the causality between monkeys and head lice not to mention Norway and Harald Haarfager’s fair hair.ItalianNotes recently posted..The charming backwaters of Venice

I like them, too – but I must admit, at a little distance, at least when they’re aggressive. A friend of mine is very bothered by monkeys, though – they’re too much like humans for her comfort, I think, a reminder of our more primitive traits.

Beautiful place! I was wondering why it would be called the Monkey Temple. I bet it would be quite the site to see with all the monkeys swarming everywhere.The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..The Weekly Worldview: Peru’s Presidential Palace

His hair must have been verrry long by the time this was done!
I just thought about this: in the Bible, Samson’s strength was in his hair. He lost it when his hair was cut.InsideJourneys recently posted..Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands

Lovely picture, I remember when I went to India everybody was scared of monkeys and they kept telling me because they are too naughty and they beat everyone up! I’ve always found them very cute That temple is probably better than one I visited in Bikaner, India, full of rats!Angela recently posted..Photo Essay: Carried away by the view of Beirut’s azure sea

I remember those aggressive monkeys well but the head lice story is all new to me. Amazing the stuff we learn on your site Sophie.
I was there in pre digital days too and all my shots were on slide film.Leigh recently posted..Discovering Elk Island National Park Over A Long Weekend

And in Nepal, Manjushree, the bodhisattva of wisdom, didn’t cut his hair until he had finished building the Swayambhunath temple hill.
I am tour guide in Nepal and take tourist to Swoyambhunath Stupa (also popularly known as monkey temple among tourists) for sightseeing. Have never heard about Manjushree’s such vow. Real travelers dig beneath and discover such ! Happy to read this blog.
wish you peace !